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Valley Creek
- Valley Forge, PA (Page 2 of 2)
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Continued (from Charles R. Meck - Pennsylvania Trout Streams and Thier Hatches - 2nd Edition):
This limestone stream has summer water temperatures that rarely exceed 70 degrees. Valley Creek is 20 to 30 feet wide and many anglers on it catch streambred brown trout over 15 inches long.
Joe Petrella, Jr. of Downington, Frank Swarner and his son Chip, of Glenmoore and Wayne Poppich fly-fish regularly on Valley in the park. Joe's office is only 10 minutes from the stream and he regularly spends his lunch hour fishing. I met Joe, Frank, Chip and Wayne on Valley one evening not long ago. Hundreds of Little Blue-Winged Olives emerged off the riffles from 6:00pm until dark. At least six heavy trout rose in the pool Joe selected to fish. Joe often fishes when the Dark Olive Caddis emerges, and he lands and releases heavy 16-inch browns during htis caddis hatch. Wayne landed a 20-inch brown on Valley last year. Twelve-year-old Chip Swarner is an excellent caster and fisherman. Chip hooked one trout that evening that broke his hook and landed another streambred brown over a foot long.
There's a total of 13 miles of fishing on Valley and two miles on it's tributary, Little Valley Creek. Valley Creek enters the Schuylkill River near the national park.
Valley Creek is presently in the middle of a controversy that will most definately determine its future as a viable productive trout stream. The Environmental Quality Board composed of members of the governor's cabinet, directors of the fish and game commissions and other swill eventually decide the future of the stream. Joe Armstrong and Valley Forge Chapter of Trout Unlimited have worked diligently to have Valley Creek classified as an exceptional value stream. Some locals want the stream designated as high quality-lower than exceptional value. With exceptional value, authorities would allow no discharges that would reduce existing water quality. A high-quality designation for Valley Creek on the other hand would allow some degradation to the stream. We can only hope that Valley Creek gets what it deserves - exceptional value classification.
Will Valley continue to be a proud stream with some great streambred browns? Will the state or federal agencies change the regulations on this fine stream to prohibit bait fishing? Only time and demands from interested groups will tell.
Note: After publication of this edition of Pennsylvania Trout Streams and Their Hatches - 2nd Edition, Valley Creek was finally designated with the exceptional value classification.
See the Hatch Chart and Stream Maps for more information on Valley Creek hatches as well as best times and places to fish. Also, please visit Charles R. Meck at (charlesmeck.com) and look at his great selection of fly fishing books and his current schedule of appearances, book signings and educational events.
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